Starface
Encyclopedia
Starface is an American
television game show
which ran on GSN
on August 1, 2006 to November 4, 2006. Reruns aired until January 2007.
. It is a trivia-based game involving questions about celebrities and other elements of pop culture. Three contestants competed, with the winner playing a bonus round
for the grand prize. The show was taped at Hollywood Center Studios
.
or Leonardo DiCaprio
, for example). Also commonly featured is "(Celebrity) Train Wreck", where the celebrity being used is one that has been in recent life trouble.
"Below the Beltway": Pictures of a politician, past or present, are shown, starting at the person's waist, and going up his/her body, one at a time. A sound clip from Hail to the Chief
precedes this portion of the competition.
"See Cups": Pictures of a female celebrity are shown, starting at the person's breasts, and zooming out from the body, one at a time.
"Yearbook": Pictures of a celebrity are shown, starting at youth, and going through maturity, one at a time.
For each segment, a clue is given for each stage of the reveal, after which players can ring in and guess. An incorrect guess locks the player out for the rest of the reveal. All three players are once again eligible to answer follow-up questions.
Also occasionally used is the following category:
"15 Minutes of Fame": This rarely used category is about people who only became famous because of a relation with a celebrity. The answers to the follow-up questions were often designed to dis the would-be celebrity.
This segment has been used in every single episode so far, and is almost always the last segment in the second round:
"Mug Shot": As its name suggests, a mug shot of a celebrity who has been arrested at least once before (Christian Slater
, Paul Reubens
and Martha Stewart
, to name a few). A few of the follow-up questions are usually based around the crime that got the celebrity arrested.
and National Lampoon's Funny Money
, the right answer sound was similar to the sound heard when a letter pops up on Wheel of Fortune
, the buzzer for a wrong answer came from Shop 'til You Drop
, and the bonus round music was later used on Merv Griffin's Crosswords
.
in the 9:30 PM timeslot, leaving only a 3:30 PM weekend airing until January 2007, when the show was completely removed from the schedule and Match Game PM took its former weekend slot.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
which ran on GSN
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
on August 1, 2006 to November 4, 2006. Reruns aired until January 2007.
Format
The show, known as Fame Game in its early development stages, was hosted by Danny BonaduceDanny Bonaduce
Dante Daniel "Danny" Bonaduce is an American radio/television personality, comedian, professional wrestler, and former child actor...
. It is a trivia-based game involving questions about celebrities and other elements of pop culture. Three contestants competed, with the winner playing a bonus round
Bonus round
A bonus round or bonus game, known in the industry as an end game, is a special round in a game show or similar contest. The bonus round usually follows a main game as a bonus to the winner of that game...
for the grand prize. The show was taped at Hollywood Center Studios
Hollywood Center Studios
Hollywood Center Studios is a company based in Los Angeles, California that provides stage facilities to television and movie production companies. Its sound stages, located at 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue in Hollywood, California, are steeped in Hollywood history...
.
Round 1
Contestants ring in to answer questions worth 50 points, with no penalty for a wrong answer. The first question of the round is identifying a celebrity from a photo. Follow up questions are then asked related in some way to the previous question. Some sets of questions in this round may be asked as "(National Enquirer) Hot Corner", where the star being used is a very sexy celebrity (such as Carmen ElectraCarmen Electra
Tara Leigh Patrick , professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, actress, television personality, singer, and dancer...
or Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
, for example). Also commonly featured is "(Celebrity) Train Wreck", where the celebrity being used is one that has been in recent life trouble.
Round 2
Correct answers are worth 100 points. In this round, at least one set of questions featured a puzzle question under one of these segments:"Below the Beltway": Pictures of a politician, past or present, are shown, starting at the person's waist, and going up his/her body, one at a time. A sound clip from Hail to the Chief
Hail to the Chief
"Hail to the Chief" is a march primarily associated with the President of the United States. Its playing accompanies the appearance of the President at many public appearances. For major official occasions, the United States Marine Band and other military ensembles generally are the performers, so...
precedes this portion of the competition.
"See Cups": Pictures of a female celebrity are shown, starting at the person's breasts, and zooming out from the body, one at a time.
"Yearbook": Pictures of a celebrity are shown, starting at youth, and going through maturity, one at a time.
For each segment, a clue is given for each stage of the reveal, after which players can ring in and guess. An incorrect guess locks the player out for the rest of the reveal. All three players are once again eligible to answer follow-up questions.
Also occasionally used is the following category:
"15 Minutes of Fame": This rarely used category is about people who only became famous because of a relation with a celebrity. The answers to the follow-up questions were often designed to dis the would-be celebrity.
This segment has been used in every single episode so far, and is almost always the last segment in the second round:
"Mug Shot": As its name suggests, a mug shot of a celebrity who has been arrested at least once before (Christian Slater
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
, Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens is an American actor, writer, film producer, and comedian, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor...
and Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
, to name a few). A few of the follow-up questions are usually based around the crime that got the celebrity arrested.
Round 3
The contestants each put on a mask of the same celebrity. The questions are about that celebrity, and the players must phrase their answers in first-person form. Each correct answer is worth 200 points, and the player with the highest score at the end of the round wins the game and advances to the bonus round. If a tie occurs, a tie-breaker question is asked; a right answer wins the game, and a wrong answer loses the game.Bonus round
The player is shown pictures of two different things (celebrities, animals, food, etc.), and is read a series of statements. Each statement pertains to one of the two options. If the player answers 10 questions correctly in 60 seconds, he/she won a trip; otherwise, $100 was awarded for each correct answer.Sound effects/music
The show recycled several well-known game show sound effects: the sound for buzzing in was recycled from two earlier GSN original series, Mall MastersMall Masters
Mall Masters is the name of a game show from Stone-Stanley that aired from April 1 to December 1, 2001 on GSN, hosted by TV personality Chris Harrison, who also introduced himself in the intro. Three contestants competed to test their knowledge of pop culture...
and National Lampoon's Funny Money
National Lampoon's Funny Money
National Lampoon's Funny Money is a comedy game show that aired on GSN from June 15 to October 24, 2003. The show was hosted by stand-up comedian Jimmy Pardo, and Budd Friedman served as the announcer.-Format:...
, the right answer sound was similar to the sound heard when a letter pops up on Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...
, the buzzer for a wrong answer came from Shop 'til You Drop
Shop 'Til You Drop
Shop 'til You Drop is an American game show that aired on various broadcast television networks from 1991–2006. The series was hosted by Pat Finn from 1991–2002, followed by JD Roberto from 2003–2005. Co-hosts/announcers included Mark L...
, and the bonus round music was later used on Merv Griffin's Crosswords
Merv Griffin's Crosswords
Merv Griffin's Crosswords is an American game show based on crossword puzzles. The show was created by its namesake, Merv Griffin, who died shortly after beginning production on the series...
.
Cancellation
GSN decided not to renew the show for a second season due to poor ratings. In early November, the show was replaced by I've Got a SecretI've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret is a panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?...
in the 9:30 PM timeslot, leaving only a 3:30 PM weekend airing until January 2007, when the show was completely removed from the schedule and Match Game PM took its former weekend slot.